Privacy In The Smart Grid: An Information Flow Analysis

Project Final Report prepared for CIEE and California Energy Commissio

Community-Owned Solar Power and Micro Grids for New York State

This policy brief discusses how community owned solar projects and micro grids offer a sustainable alternative to reliance on the large power grid and polluting fossil fuels. It explains how micro grids work and looks at how they are connected to and can improve standard power grids or macro grids

Master\u27s Project: Impacts to Natural Resources and the Natural Environment from Large-Scale Solar Facilities in Vermont: An Analysis of Public Utilities Commission Documents

Renewable energy deployment and conserving biodiversity are both related to mitigating and preventing the worst effects of climate change. These issues require careful consideration of land use and the consequences associated with land use choices. Large-scale ground-mounted photovoltaic solar energy is a promising clean energy technology, as it can be flexibly deployed, produces low lifecycle carbon emissions compared to other energy sources, and is cost competitive. However, questions remain about how large-scale solar will affect ecological functionality of the Vermont landscape. This report evaluates how the Vermont Public Utility Commission, the Vermont Agency of Natural Resources, and other parties to siting ground-mounted solar evaluate the ecological impacts from large-scale solar energy. It includes interviews with experts involved in solar siting issues, a review quantifying stipulations issued by regulators to avoid undue adverse impacts on protected natural resources, and an analysis reviewing common stipulations across all large-scale solar installations sited in Vermont. The analysis reveals a pattern of development favoring farmland and areas with no zoning designation near populated areas. Incentives to deploy 2.2 MW or smaller arrays appeared to have fewer natural resource concerns compared to larger installations. Impacts to grassland bird habitats, abutting forest blocks, soil erosion, and rare, threatened, or endangered species were commonly raised across developments. To improve solar siting and mitigate impacts to environmental resources, increased monitoring requirements and improved coordination between state and local governments solar should be considered by the state to facilitate low-impact developments at the local level

What's Blocking the Sun?: Solar Photovoltaics for the U.S. Commercial Market

Provides an overview of installation trends and investment climate for solar photovoltaics in the U.S. commercial sector, including policy and economic obstacles. Recommends strategies for the solar industry, the commercial sector, and policy makers

Innovations in energy and climate policy: lessons from Vermont

We ask in this article: how can planners and policymakers replicate Vermont’s energy and climate policies? We begin by explaining the research methods utilized for this article—mainly research interviews with a pool of experts, coupled with a targeted literature review. We then analyze the success of Vermont energy policy across four areas: energy efficiency, renewable energy, the smart grid, and energy governance. The following sections first explain how Vermont accomplished these successes, next identify a number of remaining barriers and elements of Vermont’s approach that may not be replicable, and finally present the article’s conclusions

Carbon Pricing in New York ISO Markets: Federal and State Issues

New York’s Clean Energy Standard (“CES”), adopted in August 2016, aims to steer the state’s electricity sector away from carbon-intensive generation sources. It supports low-carbon alternatives by requiring retail electricity suppliers to purchase credits, the proceeds from which are paid to renewable and nuclear generators. Recognizing that this will affect the operation of wholesale electricity markets, New York’s electric transmission grid operator (the “New York Independent System Operator” or “NYISO”) has commenced a review to assess possible means of incorporating the cost of carbon emissions into market prices. This Article explores two approaches to carbon pricing in NYISO markets: the first would involve NYISO adopting a carbon price of its own initiative with a view to improving the operation of wholesale electricity markets (“Approach 1”), while the second would involve adoption of a carbon price designed to reflect and harmonize state-level policies aimed at reducing electricity sector emissions (“Approach 2”). Under either approach, NYISO would adopt a per megawatt hour carbon price and use it to establish a fee for each generating unit, consistent with its emissions profile. This fee would be added to the prices generators bid into the wholesale electricity market and those adjusted prices used by NYISO to determine the dispatch order. The result would likely be a re-ordering of dispatch, with high-emitting generators dispatched (and paid) less frequently, and cleaner alternatives more frequently. Our proposal, while conceptually simple, is likely to be difficult to implement

Land Use Planning for Solar Energy: Resource Guide

This document was created to help New York State localities develop and adopt solar friendly policies and plans. It begins by presenting the local government’s role in land use planning and regulation and introduces common characteristics of “solar friendly” communities. The resource then describes how municipalities should begin a solar energy initiative through an official policy statement that provides support for solar energy and that authorizes a task force to shepherd the process, appropriate studies, training programs for staff and board members, inter-municipal partnerships, and outside funding sources. Next, the document explains how municipalities should engage the entire community in the solar energy initiative process to ensure support for the initiative and its implementation. Finally, the resource presents local planning best practices that communities can incorporate into their comprehensive plans, subarea plans, or other plans. Throughout, this document provides helpful resources and examples that communities can use to develop effective solar energy policies and plans